Clifton Springs vs Drysdale

Clifton Springs is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 52 in Drysdale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Clifton Springs carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 44/100)
  • Drysdale has more childcare (7 vs 4)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Clifton Springs

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($385,000 vs $1,175,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 31%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Clifton Springs

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (34/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Clifton Springs is more walkable (34/100 vs 0/100)
  • Drysdale has more GPs (4 vs 1)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Drysdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.4% vs 1.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Clifton Springs and Drysdale drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Walkability 34 / 0
Clifton Springs — Walkability: 34/100 Drysdale — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 69 / 56
Clifton Springs — Safety: 69/100 Drysdale — Safety: 56/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Clifton Springs — Low fire risk: 100/100 Drysdale — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Clifton Springs — Low flood risk: 100/100 Drysdale — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Clifton Springs has more residents (7,646 vs 4,976); Drysdale skews older (52 vs 48).

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Population 7,646
+35% vs other
 4,976
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.7% +16.4%
Median age 48 52
Median household income $70,096/yr
+6% vs other
 $66,196/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+3% vs other
 $340/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Clifton Springs Drysdale
0-4 4.7% / 3.4%
Clifton Springs — 0-4: 4.7% Drysdale — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 10.8% / 11.6%
Clifton Springs — 5-14: 10.8% Drysdale — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 5.1% / 5.6%
Clifton Springs — 15-19: 5.1% Drysdale — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 4.4% / 4.3%
Clifton Springs — 20-24: 4.4% Drysdale — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 9.6% / 7.2%
Clifton Springs — 25-34: 9.6% Drysdale — 25-34: 7.2%
35-44 11.2% / 9.2%
Clifton Springs — 35-44: 11.2% Drysdale — 35-44: 9.2%
45-54 12.4% / 11.4%
Clifton Springs — 45-54: 12.4% Drysdale — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 15.2% / 14.0%
Clifton Springs — 55-64: 15.2% Drysdale — 55-64: 14.0%
65-74 16.2% / 17.1%
Clifton Springs — 65-74: 16.2% Drysdale — 65-74: 17.1%
75-84 8.4% / 10.9%
Clifton Springs — 75-84: 8.4% Drysdale — 75-84: 10.9%
85+ 2.0% / 5.1%
Clifton Springs — 85+: 2.0% Drysdale — 85+: 5.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Clifton Springs 40.9% lone person
Clifton Springs — Lone Person: 40.9% Clifton Springs — Couple Families: 37.9% Clifton Springs — One Parent Families: 16.9% Clifton Springs — Group Household: 3.0% Clifton Springs — Other Families: 1.2%
Drysdale 42.5% lone person
Drysdale — Lone Person: 42.5% Drysdale — Couple Families: 40.0% Drysdale — One Parent Families: 13.8% Drysdale — Group Household: 2.4% Drysdale — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Clifton Springs 18.3% renting
Clifton Springs — Owned Outright: 43.8% Clifton Springs — Mortgage: 37.9% Clifton Springs — Renting: 18.3%
Drysdale 17.0% renting
Drysdale — Owned Outright: 50.7% Drysdale — Mortgage: 32.4% Drysdale — Renting: 17.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Clifton Springs Drysdale
England 6.0% / 6.1%
Clifton Springs — England: 6.0% Drysdale — England: 6.1%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.2%
Clifton Springs — New Zealand: 1.3% Drysdale — New Zealand: 1.2%
Scotland 0.9% / 0.7%
Clifton Springs — Scotland: 0.9% Drysdale — Scotland: 0.7%
Germany 0.7% / 0.6%
Clifton Springs — Germany: 0.7% Drysdale — Germany: 0.6%
Netherlands 0.5% / 0.7%
Clifton Springs — Netherlands: 0.5% Drysdale — Netherlands: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.1%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Certificate III & IV 20.1% / 17.6%
Clifton Springs — Certificate III & IV: 20.1% Drysdale — Certificate III & IV: 17.6%
Bachelor Degree 9.7% / 10.4%
Clifton Springs — Bachelor Degree: 9.7% Drysdale — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 8.9%
Clifton Springs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Drysdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 2.7%
Clifton Springs — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Drysdale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 2.8%
Clifton Springs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Drysdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Clifton Springs 98.2% houses
Clifton Springs — Houses: 98.2% Clifton Springs — Townhouses: 1.8% Clifton Springs — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Drysdale 88.7% houses
Drysdale — Houses: 88.7% Drysdale — Townhouses: 9.7% Drysdale — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Median house price $702,500 $745,000
Median unit price $530,000 $540,000
Median land price $385,000 $1,175,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 31 days
from 125 sales
 33 days
from 59 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Clifton Springs Drysdale
2 bed $615K / $550K
Clifton Springs — 2 bed: $615K (11 sales) Drysdale — 2 bed: $550K (15 sales)

11 vs 15 sales

3 bed $675K / $670K
Clifton Springs — 3 bed: $675K (154 sales) Drysdale — 3 bed: $670K (51 sales)

154 vs 51 sales

4 bed $758K / $832K
Clifton Springs — 4 bed: $758K (68 sales) Drysdale — 4 bed: $832K (56 sales)

68 vs 56 sales

5 bed $810K / $1.05M
Clifton Springs — 5 bed: $810K (13 sales) Drysdale — 5 bed: $1.05M (8 sales)

13 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Drysdale has more rural and farming land (87% vs 10%).

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Rural and farming 10% 87%
Residential 70% 8%
Parks and recreation 19% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 2%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Clifton Springs Drysdale
New dwellings approved 3,468
across Greater Geelong
same for both
Approvals change year on year +56%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Houses 3.8%
$535/wk on $735K
 3.7%
$590/wk on $830K
Units — 4.3%
$450/wk on $550K

Ranking within VIC

Clifton Springs Drysdale
House price Higher than 34% of VIC Higher than 44% of VIC
Income Higher than 32% of VIC Higher than 26% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 32% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 49% of VIC Higher than 33% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 61% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 53% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 18% of VIC

Liveability

Clifton Springs is more walkable (34 vs 0); Clifton Springs scores higher overall (58 vs 53).

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Grade B
same for both
Score 58/100 53/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Drysdale carries more crime risk (44 vs 31).

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
31/100
 Moderate
44/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion High
73/100
 Moderate
63/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Clifton Springs

  • Clifton Springs Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Drysdale

  • Drysdale Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Christian College Geelong - Bellarine Campus Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 8 6
Childcare 4 7
GPs 1 4
Pharmacies 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Walkability score 34/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 96.3 km 96.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 89 min 86 min
Public transport score 75/100 76/100
Peak arrivals per hour 36.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 32.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3222
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 3222
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Car (driver) 74.0% / 71.9%
Clifton Springs — Car (driver): 74.0% Drysdale — Car (driver): 71.9%
Worked from Home 18.3% / 20.1%
Clifton Springs — Worked from Home: 18.3% Drysdale — Worked from Home: 20.1%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 4.0%
Clifton Springs — Car (passenger): 4.6% Drysdale — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Walked Only 0.9% / 2.8%
Clifton Springs — Walked Only: 0.9% Drysdale — Walked Only: 2.8%
Train 0.6% / 0.7%
Clifton Springs — Train: 0.6% Drysdale — Train: 0.7%
Bus 1.0% / 0.2%
Clifton Springs — Bus: 1.0% Drysdale — Bus: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.0%).

Setting

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Elevation 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 99 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 624 m 4.0 km

NBN connectivity

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Connectivity score 72/100 68/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 49%
3,791 premises
 43%
2,672 premises

Climate

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Annual rainfall —
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Clifton Springs Drysdale
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Average residential rate $1,802/yr
same for both
Council Greater Geelong
same for both

Federal electorate

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Division Corangamite
same for both
Member Libby Coker
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Clifton Springs Drysdale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Clifton Springs

Coastal Large Blocks Retirees

Drysdale

Acreage Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Clifton Springs

Clifton Springs vs Curlewis Clifton Springs vs Bellarine

Other comparisons with Drysdale

Drysdale vs Portarlington Drysdale vs Curlewis Drysdale vs St Leonards Drysdale vs Wallington Drysdale vs Bellarine Drysdale vs Mannerim
Full data on Clifton Springs Full data on Drysdale
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or